Assembling apparatus



Aug. 16, 1955 w. A. HESS ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed May 11, 1950 INVENTOR. W/LL/AM ALA E55 BY W flTTOPA/EYS United States Patent Ofl ice ASSEMBLING APPARATUS William A. Hess, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Standard Oil Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 11, 1950, Serial No. 161,350

3 Claims. (Cl. 29238) In the manufacture of products such as filter elements, the common practice is for operators to lay up the canvas blankets and perforated sheet metal plates for such filter unit, and fasten the assembly together by several spacedaround rivets, and this operation is accomplished at considerable disability, as the progressing assembly has to be ends, said invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various Ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged scale transverse section taken on a plane substantially indicated by line II, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a small scale fragmentary plan view of the central portion of the movable press member.

The assembly platform on which the pieces to make up the unit are laid together involves a bed plate 2, sulficiently massive to sustain the necessary pressure. Its overall dimensions will depend upon the size of the units being put together, these for example in some instances being as large as four feet or more in diameter, circular or otherwise appropriately shaped. Reciprocably mounted with respect to the bed plate 2 is a movable plate 3 which when in its elevated position allows the operator to place the pieces to make up the assembly, and which when lowered will compress the assembly for the final operation. The bed 2 may be supported below on any suitable support means S, and posts 5 extend between the bed plate and the top frame 4, while the movable plate 3 can travel on the posts 5 as guides, by suitable openings in the plate therefor. To move the plate 3, a cylinder C for liquid or air pressure and piston P may be provided, the cylinder being supported on the top frame 4 and the piston being connected through its rod 6 to the plate 3.

A peculiarity of the bed plate 2 is that it is provided with an upstanding sleeve 8, which gauges the accurate positioning of the sheets of material, perforated appropriately to the assembly sleeve, for positioning as the operator successively lays them up in place. Further, the bed plate 2 is provided with removable recessed inserts 9, and openings 10 extend from these through the plate. The recesses are employed to receive and position buttons 11 or metal discs of upstanding rivets 12 so that as the successive sheets of the assembly material, having appropriate perforations corresponding, are laid up, their perforations align over the rivet stems 12 as well as over the central assembly sleeve 8.

A peculiarity of the movable plate 3 is that it has a recess 14 underneath opposite the assembly sleeve 8, whereby the plate 3 can be set down tightly upon the assembly which is about the sleeve 8. Also, the movable plate 3 has a plurality of openings 15 which are bevelled or expanded above. The number of these will depend upon the numbers of recesses 9 in the lower plate and will align therewith respectively. For illustration, as shown at Fig. 3, the openings 15 may be in staggered arrangement generally of concentric circle arrangement.

Desirably, the movable plate 3 is provided with a latch 17 in a housing 18 on the plate, whereby to engage in a recess 19 in the post 5, as urged into such position by spring 20 in a bore which is closed by a cap screw 21. A handle 22 projecting from the latch, and preferably at each side in duplication, is slidable in cutout slotway 23, whereby the latch can be manually retracted out of engagement with the post 5. When thus manually retracted, a suitably arranged valve for the fluid pressure piston can be operated and the movable plate 3 be forced down in compression. Desirably, a duplicate latch is placed to be similarly engageable with the other post 5.

In operation, for illustration in the assembly of filter units for the pressing of paraflin distillate in petroleum refining, the operator places the bottom buttons 11 of the rivets in the respective recesses 9 of the bed plate, and then a sheet or blanket of canvas is placed thereover, the rivet stems protruding, then a perforated screen with prepunched holes superposed, and then in succession a center plate and another screen and finally a blanket or sheet of canvas, and the rivet stems being fully exposed thereabove, the perforated top buttons for the rivets are placed on the rivet stems. The handles 22 of the latches 17 are retracted, and the control valve for the fluid pressure cylinder is operated to force the plate 3 down and compress the assembly. The top ends of the rivet stems 12 are now exposed in the openings 15, and by reason of the shape of these, the operator can then bring a pneumatic hammer R to each opening in succession and hammer down or rivet the ends of the stems 12 to tightly hold the assembly, which after stapling the outer blanket edges can be removed from the press on reversing the fluid pressure valve and raising the movable plate 3. With the complement of openings 10 through the bed plate distributed around and freely accessible on the under-side throughout, in the event the assembly should resist removal it can be readily loosened by a rod driven up in appropriate openings 10; and it is noticed that this would directly bear against the metal buttons 11 instead of against more frangible portions of the assembly. As the latter ascends to normal up position, the spring urged latches 17 again engage in the recesses in the posts 5. In some cases the latches may be omitted, but usually they are desirable. The filter unit is finished by stitching the center hole.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A clamping press adapted to clamp a plurality of fiat elements in face to face relationship for a riveting operation, comprising a bed plate having a plurality of rivet-receiving recesses on the upper surface thereof, a plurality of posts mounted on the upper surface of said bed plate and extending normally thereto, a top frame member mounted on the ends of said posts above said bed plate, a movable plate reciprocably mounted on said posts Patented Aug. 16, 1955 for movementitoward and away from said bed plate, a hydraulic piston and cylinder interconnecting said top frame and said movable plate, an upstanding tubular gauge sleeve mounted on, the upper'surfaceiofsaid. bed plate, a receiving-recess in said; movable plate into which saidtubulaf gauge sleeve fits, and a plurality of openings extending through said movable plate,'each of said openings: being axially aligned with one of said rivet-receiving recesses.

i 2. A: clamping press adapted to clamp a plurality of flat elements'in face to face relationship for a riveting operation, comprising a bed plate having a plurality of rivetreceiving recesses on the upper surface thereof, arplurality oflposts mounted on the upper surface of said bed plate and exten'dingnormally thereto, a top, frame member mounted on the ends. of said posts above said bed plate, a movablev plate reciprocably mounted on said posts for movement toward'a-nd away from said bed plate, releasable latch means for normally holding the movable plate, a hydraulic piston and cylinder interconnecting said top frame and said movable plate, an upstanding tubular gauge sleevemounted on the upper surface of said bed plate, a receiving-recess in said movable plate into which said tubular gauge sleeve. fits, and-a plurality; of openings extending through said movable plate, each of said openings being axially aligned with one of said rivet-receiving recesses.

3. A clamping press adaptedto clamp a plurality of fiat elements in face to face relationship for a riveting operation, comprising a bed plate with releasable inserts on its upper surface each having a rivet-receiving recess and an opening extending also on through the plate, a plurality of posts mounted on the upper surface of said bed plate and extending normally thereto, a top frame member mounted on the ends of said posts: above said bed plate, a movable plate reciprocably mounted on said posts for movement toward and away from said bed plate, a hydraulic piston and cylinder interconectin'g said top frame and said movable plate, an upstanding tubular gauge sleeve mounted on the upper suxt'ace of said bed plate, a receiving-recess in said movable plate into which said tubular gauge sleeve fits, and a plurality of openings extending through said movable plate, each of said openings being axially aligned with one of said rivet-receiving recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent 'UNETED STATES PATENTS 1,201,162 Eames Oct. 10, 1916 1,900,852 Kuppersmith Mar. 7, 1933v 2,252,107 Weida Aug. 12, 1941 Y 2,302,758 Garbe Nov. 24, 1942 2,304,921 Kane Dec. 15, 1942 2,526,378 Malhiot Oct. 17, 1950 

